Jacque Vaughn returns to San Antonio, the place where he learned so much

And here, he learned from Gregg Popovich, who paved the way for Vaughn to become head coach of the Orlando Magic.

"He was incredibly gracious to me," Vaughn said, "and I hope he saw my loyalty in return. That's what this thing's about. You get good people around you, people you trust and people who are in it for the same common goal. I learned a tremendous amount of things from him, not only basketball but just life in general, a family perspective, things that are important. He's the reason why I'm here today."

On Wednesday night, Vaughn's Magic will face Popovich's San Antonio Spurs for the second time this regular season. But it will be the first time Vaughn has coached here against the Spurs.

Vaughn spent the final three years of his playing career in San Antonio, and he helped the team win an NBA championship in 2007.

"I just never played with someone who was as professional and as prepared as Jacque Vaughn was for every game," said Spurs forward Matt Bonner, who was Vaughn's teammate for three seasons.

"He was like an encyclopedia with scouting reports. It didn't matter if [an opposing team] called a guy up for a 10-day contract from Kazakhstan. [Jacque] would have the scouting report on him somehow. His basketball IQ was off the charts. His leadership skills were off the charts as far as running the team and getting guys in the right spots."

Popovich hired Vaughn as an assistant coach in 2010. Vaughn remained in the job until the Magic hired him last summer.

"I'll always be grateful for what he taught me," Vaughn said of Popovich. "He didn't have to put me on staff, so I'll be forever grateful."

Vaughn, 38, attempted to absorb as much as he could from Popovich, but Vaughn isn't a carbon copy.

Popovich, 64, often is excitable, while Vaughn has exuded a calm demeanor almost the entire season.

"He's been the same guy all year," Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said.

On Monday night, Vaughn's young team started its game against the Houston Rockets terribly. The Magic fell behind 27-9 as they gave up 22 points in the paint.

Many coaches — Popovich included — probably would've lit into the team during timeouts.

But Vaughn didn't. He tried to calm his players.

At halftime, with his team trailing 65-43, he didn't yell or scream, either.

He let his players do most of the talking.

"We were all in here talking at halftime," rookie small forward Maurice Harkless said. "Then, when the coaches came out, he didn't really say much because he heard us talking."

Vaughn has decided not to imitate Popovich's style.

"I just believe in not trying to be someone you aren't," Vaughn said. "I said that from the first day. I've been around some great coaches. I'm not going to try to be like they are. At the same time, they've seen my edge throughout the course of the year at various points. But I've chosen to do it differently. It's probably a different approach."

Perhaps Vaughn would be a bit louder if the Magic roster was filled with veteran players.

Instead, the roster includes five rookies and three second-year players.

"You have to be able to adapt to the environment," Vaughn said. "Right now, [with] this environment that we're in, there's a lot of teaching. Most of the time, teaching comes with clarity, and that's what we're trying to be."

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.